1955 New York Yankees season
Encyclopedia
The New York Yankees
season was the team's 53rd season in New York, and its 55th season overall. The team finished with a record of 96-58, winning their 21st pennant, finishing 3 games ahead of the Cleveland Indians
. New York was managed by Casey Stengel
. The Yankees played their home games at Yankee Stadium. In the World Series
, they were defeated by the Brooklyn Dodgers
in 7 games.
became the sixth player in the history of the World Series to hit a home run in his first World Series at bat.
NL Brooklyn Dodgers
(4) vs. AL New York Yankees (3)
All-Star Game
Norfolk club folded, July 14, 1955
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
season was the team's 53rd season in New York, and its 55th season overall. The team finished with a record of 96-58, winning their 21st pennant, finishing 3 games ahead of the Cleveland Indians
1955 Cleveland Indians season
- Offseason :* October 14, 1954: Owen Friend was purchased from the Indians by the Boston Red Sox.* November 16, 1954: Ralph Kiner was acquired by the Indians from the Chicago Cubs for $60,000 as part of an earlier deal made on September 30, 1954...
. New York was managed by Casey Stengel
Casey Stengel
Charles Dillon "Casey" Stengel , nicknamed "The Old Perfessor", was an American Major League Baseball outfielder and manager. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in ....
. The Yankees played their home games at Yankee Stadium. In the World Series
1955 World Series
The 1955 World Series matched the Brooklyn Dodgers against the New York Yankees, with the Dodgers winning the Series in seven games to capture their first championship in franchise history. It would be the only Series the Dodgers won in Brooklyn . The last time the Brooklyn franchise won a World...
, they were defeated by the Brooklyn Dodgers
1955 Brooklyn Dodgers season
In , the Brooklyn Dodgers finally fulfilled the promise of many previous Dodger teams. Although the club had won several pennants in the past, and had won as many as 105 games in 1953, it had never won a World Series. This team finished 13.5 games ahead in the National League pennant race, leading...
in 7 games.
Offseason
- November 17, 1954: Gene WoodlingGene WoodlingEugene Richard Woodling was a Major League Baseball outfielder for the Cleveland Indians , Pittsburgh Pirates , New York Yankees , Baltimore Orioles , Washington Senators , and the New York Mets in their expansion year of 1962...
, Harry ByrdHarry Byrd (baseball)Harry Gladwin Byrd was an American Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher who played for the Philadelphia Athletics , New York Yankees , Baltimore Orioles , Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers...
, Jim McDonald, Hal Smith, Gus TriandosGus TriandosGus Triandos is a Greek-American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball mostly as a catcher but also played as a first baseman for the New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles and the Detroit Tigers of the American League and the Philadelphia Phillies and Houston Astros...
, Willy MirandaWilly MirandaGuillermo "Willy" Miranda Perez was a Cuban-born professional baseball player who played shortstop in the Major Leagues from 1951–1959...
and players to be named later were traded by the Yankees to the Baltimore OriolesBaltimore OriolesThe Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
for Don LarsenDon LarsenDonald James Larsen is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. During a 15-year baseball career, he pitched from 1953-67 for seven different teams. Larsen is best known for pitching the sixth perfect game in baseball history, doing so in game 5 of the 1956 World Series...
, Billy HunterBilly Hunter (baseball)Gordon William Hunter is a retired American shortstop, coach and manager in Major League Baseball.A slick-fielding, light-hitting shortstop from Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, the right-handed-batting Hunter was originally signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers. With his path to the majors blocked by Pee Wee...
, Bob TurleyBob TurleyRobert Lee Turley was a Major League Baseball pitcher.Turley was signed as an amateur free agent by the St. Louis Browns in . He played his first game on September 29, 1951 for the Browns and moved with them to Baltimore in...
, and players to be named later. The deal was completed on December 1, when the Yankees sent Bill MillerBill Miller (left-handed pitcher)William Paul Miller was an American pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from through for the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles . Listed at 6' 0", 175 lb., Miller batted and threw left-handed...
, Kal SegristKal SegristKal Hill Segrist is a former utility infielder in Major League Baseball who played for the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles . Listed at 6' 0", 180 lb., Segrist batted and threw right-handed...
, Don LeppertDon Leppert (second baseman)Don Eugene Leppert is an American former professional baseball second baseman. Nicknamed "Tiger," Leppert stood 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighed 175 pounds , batted left-handed and threw right-handed.Leppert attended Christian Brothers High School in Memphis and signed his first pro contract...
, and Ted Del Guercio (minors) to the Orioles, and the Orioles sent Mike BlyzkaMike BlyzkaMichael John Blyzka was a pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the St. Louis Browns/Baltimore Orioles . Listed at 5' 11", 190 lb., Blyzka batted and threw right-handed. A native of Hamtramck, Michigan, he served in the U.S...
, Darrell JohnsonDarrell JohnsonDarrell Dean Johnson was an American Major League Baseball catcher, coach, manager and scout.-Playing career:...
, Jim FridleyJim FridleyJames Riley Fridley was an American professional baseball player. During his Major League Baseball career, he was backup outfielder, playing mostly at left field for three different teams between 1952 and 1958. Nicknamed "Big Jim," Fridley was listed at and and batted and threw right-handed...
, and Dick KryhoskiDick KryhoskiRichard David Kryhoski was a first baseman in Major League Baseball who played for five different teams between 1949 and 1955. Listed at 6' 2", 200 lb., Kryhoski batted and threw left-handed. He was born and raised in Leonia, New Jersey.Kryhoski attended at Upsala College in East Orange, New...
to the Yankees.
Notable transactions
- May 11, 1955: Enos SlaughterEnos SlaughterEnos Bradsher Slaughter , nicknamed "Country", was an American Major League Baseball right fielder. During a 19-year baseball career, he played from 1938–1942 and 1946-1959 for four different teams, but is noted primarily for his time with the St...
and Johnny SainJohnny SainJohn Franklin Sain was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who was best known for teaming with left-hander Warren Spahn on the Boston Braves teams from 1946 to 1951...
were traded by the Yankees to the Kansas City AthleticsOakland AthleticsThe Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
for Sonny DixonSonny Dixon (baseball)John Craig "Sonny" Dixon was a retired American professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball for parts of four seasons for the Washington Senators, the Philadelphia Athletics and Kansas City Athletics, and the New York Yankees...
and cash. - July 30, 1955: Ed Lopat was traded by the Yankees to the Baltimore OriolesBaltimore OriolesThe Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
for Jim McDonald. - September 14, 1955: Jerry Staley was selected off waivers by the New York Yankees from the Cincinnati RedlegsCincinnati RedsThe Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
.
Roster
| 1955 New York Yankees roster | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
| Pitchers |
Catchers Infielders |
Outfielders Other batters |
Manager Coaches |
||||||
Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in| Pos | Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | 147 | 542 | 147 | .272 | 27 | 108 | |
| 1B | 108 | 288 | 92 | .319 | 12 | 61 | |
| 2B | 141 | 533 | 152 | .285 | 13 | 53 | |
| 3B | 135 | 510 | 131 | .257 | 7 | 47 | |
| SS | 98 | 255 | 58 | .227 | 3 | 20 | |
| LF | 132 | 371 | 94 | .253 | 8 | 59 | |
| CF | 147 | 517 | 158 | .306 | 37 | 99 | |
| RF | 139 | 492 | 137 | .278 | 20 | 53 |
Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in| Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 97 | 279 | 81 | .290 | 10 | 43 | |
| 105 | 278 | 65 | .234 | 13 | 45 | |
| 88 | 173 | 26 | .208 | 16 | 42 | |
| 81 | 143 | 37 | .259 | 1 | 9 | |
| 43 | 96 | 22 | .229 | 0 | 8 | |
| 55 | 85 | 29 | .341 | 3 | 22 | |
| 20 | 70 | 21 | .300 | 1 | 9 | |
| 11 | 26 | 4 | .154 | 0 | 3 | |
| 14 | 26 | 5 | .192 | 0 | 1 | |
| 10 | 9 | 1 | .111 | 0 | 1 | |
| 14 | 6 | 2 | .333 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2 | 5 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2 | 5 | 2 | .400 | 0 | 2 | |
| 1 | 3 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1 | 2 | 1 | 1.000 | 0 | 3 | |
| 7 | 2 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 |
Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 39 | 253.2 | 18 | 7 | 2.63 | 137 | |
| 36 | 246.2 | 17 | 13 | 3.06 | 210 | |
| 27 | 160 | 16 | 5 | 3.15 | 76 | |
| 19 | 97 | 9 | 2 | 3.06 | 44 | |
| 16 | 86.2 | 4 | 8 | 3.74 | 24 | |
| 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3.00 | 1 |
Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 | 126.2 | 8 | 7 | 3.41 | 49 | |
| 26 | 92.1 | 7 | 5 | 4.19 | 63 | |
| 16 | 53 | 0 | 2 | 3.91 | 22 | |
| 10 | 29 | 1 | 1 | 5.28 | 15 |
Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | W | L | SV | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 45 | 7 | 2 | 11 | 2.32 | 19 | |
| 40 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 3.25 | 17 | |
| 33 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3.16 | 48 | |
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6.75 | 5 | |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6.00 | 2 | |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13.50 | 0 |
1955 World Series
In game one on September 28, Elston HowardElston Howard
Elston Gene Howard was an American Negro League and Major League Baseball catcher, left fielder and coach. During a 14-year baseball career, he played from 1955–1968, primarily for the New York Yankees...
became the sixth player in the history of the World Series to hit a home run in his first World Series at bat.
NL Brooklyn Dodgers
1955 Brooklyn Dodgers season
In , the Brooklyn Dodgers finally fulfilled the promise of many previous Dodger teams. Although the club had won several pennants in the past, and had won as many as 105 games in 1953, it had never won a World Series. This team finished 13.5 games ahead in the National League pennant race, leading...
(4) vs. AL New York Yankees (3)
| Game | Score | Date | Location | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dodgers – 5, Yankees – 6 | September 28 | Yankee Stadium | 63,869 |
| 2 | Dodgers – 2, Yankees – 4 | September 29 | Yankee Stadium | 64,707 |
| 3 | Yankees – 3, Dodgers – 8 | September 30 | Ebbets Field Ebbets Field Ebbets Field was a Major League Baseball park located in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, New York, USA, on a city block which is now considered to be part of the Crown Heights neighborhood. It was the home of the Brooklyn Dodgers of the National League. It was also a venue for professional football... |
34,209 |
| 4 | Yankees – 5, Dodgers – 8 | October 1 | Ebbets Field Ebbets Field Ebbets Field was a Major League Baseball park located in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, New York, USA, on a city block which is now considered to be part of the Crown Heights neighborhood. It was the home of the Brooklyn Dodgers of the National League. It was also a venue for professional football... |
36,242 |
| 5 | Yankees – 3, Dodgers – 5 | October 2 | Ebbets Field Ebbets Field Ebbets Field was a Major League Baseball park located in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, New York, USA, on a city block which is now considered to be part of the Crown Heights neighborhood. It was the home of the Brooklyn Dodgers of the National League. It was also a venue for professional football... |
36,796 |
| 6 | Dodgers – 1, Yankees – 5 | October 3 | Yankee Stadium | 64,022 |
| 7 | Dodgers – 2, Yankees – 0 | October 4 | Yankee Stadium | 62,465 |
Awards and honors
- Yogi BerraYogi BerraLawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra is a former American Major League Baseball catcher, outfielder, and manager. He played almost his entire 19-year baseball career for the New York Yankees...
, American League MVP
All-Star Game
1955 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 1955 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 22nd playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball...
League leaders
- Whitey FordWhitey FordEdward Charles "Whitey" Ford is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who spent his entire 18-year career with the New York Yankees. He was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.-Early life and career:...
, league leader, complete games (Ford was the first player to lead the American League in complete games with fewer than 20)
Farm system
LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: MonroeNorfolk club folded, July 14, 1955